Objective : This study was performed to confirm the hypothesis that the more one applies positive thinking, the less severe the symptoms of stress and the better the therapeutic responsein panic disorder and major depressive disorders. Methods : The study included 50 subjects with confirmed diagnoses of panic disorder or major depressive disorders. Positive thinking was assessed using Positive thinking scale. Beck Depression Inventory was used as a subjective measure for depression, and to ensure an objective measure for depression and anxiety, the Hamilton Depression and Hamilton Anxiety rating scales were implemented. Results : The positive thinking scale measured at the initial visit had shown a strong negative correlation with objective depression. Although patients with a high level of positive thinking had shown a tendency to respond better to the treatment, as compared with those with a lower level, the differences were not statistically significant. Conclusion : Positive thinking is likely to ameliorate major depressive disorder, panic disorder-induced depression, and anxiety. Nevertheless, it was not possible to confirm the effects of positive thinking on the patients' treatment responses.

Objective : This study was conducted to evaluate the relationships between selective attention bias for fear stimuli and hallucination in patients with schizophrenia Method : A total of 66 patients with schizophrenia admitted to psychiatry clinics were included in the study. Selective attention bias was measured by the dot-probe task. Patient symptoms were measured using the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale, Psychotic Symptom Rating Scale (PSYRATS), Korean version of the Scale to Assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder, and Clinical Global Impression-Severity scale. Results : Selective attention bias was correlated with the hallucination subscale of PSYTATS (r=0.268, p=0.029). No correlation was found between selective attention bias and other clinical measures. There was no significant difference, but a statistical trend was found (p=0.092) in hallucination severities between the biased and non-biased groups. Conclusion : The results suggest that selective attention bias for fear stimuli is associated with auditory hallucination. This preliminary study suggests the possibility of correlation between auditory hallucination in the psychotic domain and anxiety of the affective component.

Objective : The purpose of this study was to verify the differences of expressed character strengths graded as per the Korean Strength Scale, based on the type of work. Methods : A total of 2,444 conglomerate workers were classified into two groups: 1,356 office workers and 1,088 production workers. The subjects were examined through a web or mobile application based on the Korean Strength Scale. The Korean Strength Scale consists of a total of four top entries and 25 sub-items with appropriate validity. Results : The difference in the average score of sum of character strengths between the two groups was not significant. In the office worker group, character strengths such as love of learning, creativity, perspective, curiosity, facilitation, judgment and faith had significantly high scores. On the other hands, modesty, hope, gratitude, sincerity, magnanimity and self-regulation were high in the production worker group. The results remained unchanged in additional analysis of covariants as sex, age and education level, except for self-regulation and faith. Conclusion : Our results suggest significant differences in the character strengths between the two types of work; however, the average of sum of character strength score remains unchanged. These results may help to understand differences between work environments and thus help to establish a positive foundation.

Objective : The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between subjective sleep problems and various types of traumatic events of patients with depressive disorder. Methods : A total of 411 patients diagnosed with depressive disorders were recruited in this study. The participants filled out Life Time Events Checklist (LEC), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). We used the independent t-test and analysis of covariance to compare each component of PSQI between depressive patients with and without traumatic experiences. Results : The groups of patients who experienced a serious accident at work, home or during recreational activity, sexual assault, other unwanted or uncomfortable sexual experience, life-threatening illness or injury, and sudden, unexpected death of a near and dear one showed lower scores in a few components of PSQI. Sleep disturbance was a common problem in all five groups. Lower subjective sleep quality and longer sleep latency was observed in three groups. There were no differences in the other components of PSQI among groups. Conclusion : This study showed that various types of traumatic events may have different effects on subjective sleep quality as a consequence of the traumatic event which they had experienced.

Objective : One of the aims of this study was to confirm the relationship in firefighters who have a high risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder. We also explored the mediation effects of resilience and posttraumatic growth (PTG) on the association between traumatic experiences and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Methods : A total of 677 firefighters were assessed in terms of the intensity of job-related traumatic experiences using the Visual Analogue Scale. They completed the Korean version of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), the Korean version of the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), and the Korean version of the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10). Results : The intensity of traumatic experiences was significantly negatively related to the CD-RISC-10 score, but it was positively related to the PTGI and the IES-R scores. The CD-RISC-10 score had a significantly positive correlation with the PTGI score, but it was negatively correlated to the IES-R score. Path analyses revealed that resilience and PTG independently mediated the association between traumatic experiences and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Conclusion : These results suggest that traumatic experiences contribute to posttraumatic stress symptoms and that these impacts may be mediated through resilience and PTG.

Objective : Emotional state and emotion regulation strategies are considered to be important factors influencing the pattern and severity of somatic pain. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between cognitive emotional regulation strategies and somatic pain in patients with depression and/or anxiety disorders. Methods : A total of 140 outpatients, diagnosed with depression and/or anxiety disorders according to DSM-IV-TR, were evaluated using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ), and the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) for somatic pain. Pearson correlations and independent t-tests were performed to analyze the relationship between somatic pain, the severity of depression and/or anxiety and cognitive emotion regulation strategies. Results : The severity of pain was significantly correlated with depressive symptoms, but not with anxiety. Patients with somatic pain tend to use maladaptive cognitive emotion regulating strategies more frequently, especially rumination and catastrophizing. Conclusion : These findings suggest that somatic pain correlates with maladaptive cognitive emotional regulating strategies. Interventions which modulate these non-productive strategies, especially rumination and catastrophizing, would be a new approach for managing patients with depressive and/or anxiety disorders who are suffering from somatic pain.

The therapeutic effect of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for patients with Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is supported by evidence from numerous studies. This article provides an overview of cognitive models and major techniques (i.e., cognitive restructuring and exposure) of CBT for SAD, developed by the study group of SAD in the Korean Academy of Anxiety Disorder. Korean-culture specific factors and new trends such as a third wave of CBT are also described.

30% of patients with panic disorder (PD) show treatment-resistant and chronic waxing and waning course. Therefore, adequate treatment strategies for PD by evidence based pharmacotherapy and combined cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) are recommended. Regarding how and why CBT for PD works, three hypotheses include the cognitive theory, anxiety control theory, and behavioral theory were discussed. The recent findings that the altered activation in frontal lobe is normalized after CBT, suggest a reduction of an altered top-down fear processing in the neural correlates of CBT in PD. In order to improve accessibility to CBT, brief CBT and internet based CBT for PD were suggested. Despite limitations of sample sizes and study design, most of studies suggest that brief CBT is more effective than control conditions, and even as equally effective as standard CBT. The evidences suggest that internet based CBT may not be significantly different from face-to-face CBT in reducing anxiety. Several advances within the field of third-wave CBT for PD have led to the development of new techniques based on mindfulness, such as mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy. Based on Korean algorithm project for panic disorder, especially the psychological education and cognitive reconstruction components were recommended in CBT with PD.